Apparatus for condensing zinc vapors and collecting the metallic zinc therefrom



(No Model.) I 2 Sheets-Sheet I.

E. WALSH, Jr.

APPARATUS FOR CONDENSINC ZINC VAPORS AND COLLECTING THE METALLIC ZINCTHEREFROM.

No. 405,134. Patented June 11, 1889 u 0 Cf [wmzvraa N. PETERSPhulolithognphor. Washington, nc

(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

E. WALSH, Jr.

APPARATUS FOR GONDENSING ZINC VAPORS AN-D COLLECTING THE METALLIC ZINCTHEREPROM. No. 405,134. Patented June 11, 1889..

N PETERS. Photo-Lithographer wmm mn, D. G V

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ED\VARD WALSH, JR, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI.

APPARATUS FOR CONDENSING ZlNC VAPORS AND COLLECTING THE METALLIC ZINCTHEREFROM.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 405,134, dated June 11,1889. Application filed November 23, 1888. Serial No. 291,665. (Nomodel.)

Toall whom, it may concern-.-

Be it known that I, EDWARD TVALSH, J r., a citizen of the United States,residing at the city of St. Louis, State of Missouri, have invented acertain new and useful Improved Apparatus for Condensing Zinc Vapors andCollecting the Metallic Zinc Therefrom, of which the following is afull, clear, and exact description.

My invention relates to apparatus for condensing zinc vapors and fumesarising from the reduced oxide of zinc in a cupola-furnace and forcollecting the resulting metallic zinc, and is an improvement on themeans described therefor in Letters Patent granted to me, dated June 14,1887, No. 364,979, for a discovery in the art relative to the reductionof the oxide of zinc in native or calcined zinc ores, on which subjectit should be here recapitulated that zinc oxide, reduces at 1,300?

. Fahrenheit and the metal distills at about 100 Fahrenheit lower thanthat temperature. Volatilization takes place immediately on reduction ofthe zinc oxide. At a temperature of 1,300 Fahrenheit carbon is entirelyunaffected by the action of carbonic acid, and the carbonic acidgenerated from the reduction of the zinc oxide is carried ofi with thezinc vapor at that temperature. Carbonic acid at a temperature below1,300 Fahrenheit when mixed with zinc vapor again oxidizes the metalliczinc vapor, thereby producing an undesirable result; but I havediscovered that when zinc vapor and carbonic acid, both at a temperatureof between 1,400 and 1,500 Fahrenheit, or slightly in excess of thattemperature, are allowed to pass through carbon or carbonaceous matter,which is also at a temperature of between 1,4:00 and 1,500 Fahrenheit,the carbonic acid is immediately converted into carbonic oxide, and thatthus the zinc vapor does not undergo any further oxidation; that theresult of thus allowing carbonic acid and zinc vapor at the temperatureof between 1,400 and 1,500 Fahrenheit, or slightly in excess of thattemperature, to pass through carbon or carbonaceous matter at atemperature between 1,400" and 1,500 Fahrenheit, or slightly in excessof that temperature, is to produce zinc vapor and carbonic oxide.

My present invention consists in the comsuitably-shaped disk (orplunger) located within the condensing-vessel behind the chute-openin gtherein and mounted on a shaft,

to which rotation (or reciprocation in the case of a plunger) isimparted, whereby the carbonaceous matter entering through the chute iscontinually forced therefrom along the con- (lensing-vessel into thefurnace as the carbonaceous matter in the latter is consumed, theresultant condition being that the carbonaceous matter at the opening ofthe condensing-vessel into the furnace is maintained at a temperature ofabout 1,500 Fahrenheit, and

the zinc vapor and carbonic acid arising from the reduced oxide of zincin the furnace passes through the carbonaceous matter at the mouth ofthe condensing-vessel, when the carbonic acid is converted into carbonicoxide, and the zinc vapor, preserved from further oxidation, passesonward through the cooler portions of the carbonaceous matter and iscondensed and precipitated in a liquid form in the lowest part of thecondensing-vessel, whence it is withdrawn through pipes or passages intoa trough or other suitable receiver.

'On the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 represents a side sectionalelevation of the apparatus comprising my invention as applied to acupola-furnace; Fig. 2, a similar view of the apparatus detached to anenlarged scale; and Fig. 3, a sectional plan thereof, omitting thecarbonaceous matter.

Fig. 4 shows an alternative form of the spiral disk seen in Figs. 1, 2,and 3.

Referring to Figs. 1, 2, and 3, a represents the furnace into which thefuel and calcined zinc ores, mixed in such proportions that sufficientfuel is present to effect a reduction of the zinc oxide to volatilizethe zinc and fuse the properly-fiuxed impurities contained in the ore,are charged through the hoppers and chutes b. Projecting externally fromand opening into the furnace at at its upper part is a condensing-vesselc, which is preferably lined with fire-brick, and preferably of aconical form, diminishing from its opening at the furnace a to its outerend, and so arranged that its lower part preferably dips somewhat fromthe furnace to.

To the outer end of the condensing-vessel c, and forming a continuationthereof, is preferably fixed a cylinder (7, of cast-iron or othersuitable material, into which at its top portion opens a chute e. Thecylinder d is closed at its outer end by a cover f, formed with acentral stuffing-box g, through which passes a shaft 71, having fixedthereto within the cylinder d, and of nearly equal diameter to thelatter, a spiral disk 7;, the initial point of which (in the sense ofits rotation) is beneath or somewhat behind the edge of the opening ofthe chute c.

Rotation is imparted to the shaft h by a worm j, which engages with aworm-wheel k, fixed on the shaft h externally to the cylinder (Z, theworm 7' being fixed on a shaft Z, mounted in bearings m, and providedwith a pulley n, which is driven by belt from any suitable motoradjacent to the apparatus; or the rot-ation of the shaft h may beeffected by any other well-known mechanical arrangement, as found mostconvenient.

Through the lowest part of the condensingvessel 0 are a series ofpassages or pipes 0, which open below the vessel 0 into a trough 1) orother suit ble conduit for the metallic zinc, as hereafter referred to.

. In operation, the furnace at being charged with the mixed ores andfuel through the chutes b and the condensingvessel 0. charged withcarbonaceous matter through the chute 6, when the mixed fuel and ore inthe furnace to and the carbonaceous matter lying thereon at and adjacentto the opening of the condensing-vessel 0 into the furnace a havereached a temperature of 1,500 Fahrenheit, the zinc vapor and carbonicacid thereby generated from the reduction of the zinc oxide in thefurnace a pass through the said portion of the carbonaceous matter intothe condensing-vessel c, and in so doing the carbonic acid isimmediately converted into carbonic oxide, which passes onward throughthe cooler portions of the carbonaceous matter in the vessel 0, wherebythe zinc vapor is condensed and precipitated in a liquid form to thebottom of the condensing-vessel c, from which it flows through the pipes0 into the trough or other conduit 19 and along the latter in anyrequired direction for use, while the carbonic oxide passes from thevessel c throughthe chute e or other pipe to waste or otherwise asrequired; Meanwhile the spiral disk 2', on being slowly rotated withinthe cylinder d, continually forces the carbonaceous matter fed throughthe chute 6 along the condensing-vesscl 0, so that the portion ofcarbonaceous matter before named at the opening into the furnace a ismaintained at the temperature of 1,500 Fahrenheit, or thereabout,necessary for converting the carbonic acid into carbonic oxide, whilethe tempera ture of the carbonaceous matter in the vessel 0 behind thesaid portion is heated by the gases to the proper temperature forcondensing the zinc vapor, or from 1,200 to 800 Fahrenheit.

If preferred, in lieu of a spiral disk 2', as shown in Figs 1, 2, and 3,I may use a plain circular, preferably wedge-shaped, disk 7;, fixed atan angle with its shaft h, as shown in Fig. 4.

I claim 1. A condenser for condensing zinc vapors into molten zinc, saidcondenser having a vapor-inlet for the admission of zinc vapors, a feedmechanism for feeding a condensing 111ediumsuch as solid carbon-throughthe condenser in the direction of the vapor-inlet, and outlets for theuncondensed gases and the condensed molten zinc, substantially as andfor the purposes specified.

2. A condenser for condensing zinc vapors into molten zinc, saidcondenser having a vapor-inlet, afeed chute distant from thevapor-inlet, feed mechanism for feeding a condensing mediumsuch ascarbon-through the condenser, and outlets for the condensed molten zincand uncondensed vapors, substantially as and for the purposes specified.

3. The combination, with a stack or furnace for reducing zinc ore, of acondenser arranged at the upper part thereof and connected therewith,said condenser having outlets for the escape of non-condensed gases andcondensed molten zinc, a feed-chute at the distant end of the condenser,and feed mechanism for feeding a carbonaceous material through thecondenser into the furnace, substantially as and for the purposesspecified.

4. The combination, with a stack or furnace for reducing zinc ores, of acondensing-tunnel connected with the upper part thereof and slightlyinclined therefrom, outlets at the bottom-of said tunnel for the escapeof condensed molten zinc, and feed mechanism for feeding a solid carbonthrough the tunnel and into the stack, substantially as and for thepurposes specified.

5. The combination, with a stack or furnace for reducing zinc ores, saidstack having a chute for charging the furnace with mixed ores and fuel,of a condensing-tunnel connected with the top of the stack, said tunnelprovided with a chute for introducing carbon, feed device for feedingthe carbon through the tunnel into the stack, and outlet-s for theescape of condensed molten zinc and noncondensed gases, substantially asand for the purposes specified.

In testimonywhereof I afiix my signature, in presence of two witnesses,this 20th day of November, 1888.

EDIVARD WALSH, JR.

WVitnesses:

S. L. SCHRADER, PAUL BAKEWELL.

ICC

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